JAN. 23, 2017: One of the most famous African-American leaders I can think of is President Barack Obama. President Obama has done many great things for this country, not only during his time in office as president but also as the senator from Illinois. President Obama has inspired many African-Americans to follow their dreams and also to make sure that they do everything they can to make a change. As we all know, President Obama was the first African-American President of the United States of America because he wanted to follow his dream and passion to help America change for the better. President Obama could have done many other things with his life but he wanted to be one of those people who could help make a change.

One of my favorite quotes from Barack Obama is “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” This quote tells us that we have to make a change right away. There is no waiting for other people. Another quote that I absolutely love says, “If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress.” This means if you keep doing the right thing and continue to keep going the right way, you will be able to make great progress. Another great quote from President Obama states that “The future rewards those who press on. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I'm going to press on.” This quote is very inspiring because it tells us to keep moving and that we shouldn’t feel sorry or complain about something when we make mistakes. We need to know that we can't go back. We have to keep on going forward.

President Obama has inspired me to continue to follow my dream. President Obama has also made me want to make a change in the world. He showed me how to be an African-American leader in not only the United States but also in the entire world. President Obama has helped many people with different issues. President Obama heard many hate threats, racists comments, and much more during his campaigns to be put in office and also during both of his presidential terms. But that did not stop him. President Obama has strived to succeed. President Obama has strived to make sure that the country is a great country and hopefully will always be. President Obama also has many accomplishments such as the Nobel Peace Prize, the NAACP Image Award–Chairman's Award, and Time's Person of the Year because of all of the sacrifices and commitments that he made for the United States. All of those things have inspired me to continue to work hard.

President Obama has shown me that African-Americans are not here just to be the white man’s slave. We can do more than just work in the fields planting crops or cleaning up someone's house and not get paid anything. African-Americans can do whatever they would like to do. We have to be able to put our minds, heart, and souls in it. We have to be able to stand up and continue to fight and demand justice, equality, and freedom. He showed me that African-Americans can progress any way they can. And we, as a community have to stick up for each other to help the people who really need our help. President Obama’s legacy will continue with us each and every day.